Many people use wireless communication devices (WCDs), such as cell phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), to communicate with cellular wireless networks. These WCDs and networks typically communicate with each other over a radio frequency (RF) air interface according to a wireless protocol such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), perhaps in conformance with one or more industry specifications such as IS-2000. Wireless networks that operate according to the IS-2000 specification are often referred to as “1 xRTT networks,” which stands for “Single Carrier Radio Transmission Technology networks.” Another protocol that may be used is known as Evolution Data Optimized (Ev-DO), perhaps in conformance with one or more industry specifications such as IS-856, Release 0 and IS-856, Revision A. Other protocols may be used as well, such as: (i) Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), (ii) Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), (iii) Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), perhaps in conformance with IEEE standard 802.16 for Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (Wireless MAN), or (iv) Long-Term Evolution (LTE), established by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) industry group.
These networks typically provide services such as voice, Short Message Service (SMS) messaging, and packet-data communication, among others, and typically include a plurality of base transceiver stations (BTSs), each of which provide one or more coverage areas, such as cells and sectors (i.e., individual areas of a cell that allow the cell to carry more calls). When a WCD is positioned in one of these coverage areas, it can communicate over the air interface with the BTS, and in turn to a core network that provides the WCD with access to one or more circuit-switched and/or packet-switched signaling and/or transport networks.
WCDs and BTSs may conduct communication sessions (e.g. voice calls and data sessions) over a pair of frequencies known as carriers, with the BTS transmitting to the WCD on one of the frequencies, and the WCD transmitting to the BTS on the other. This is known as frequency division duplex (FDD). The BTS-to-WCD link is known as the forward link, while the WCD-to-BTS link is known as the reverse link.
Transmission of communications between the BTS and the core network may occur via a backhaul network. Under certain circumstances, such as when a cellular wireless network is servicing a large quantity of WCDs, the backhaul network, or at least a portion of the backhaul network, between the BTS and the core network may become congested. Under these circumstances, the quality of service being provided by the cellular wireless network may be reduced.